ACT vs.

SAT ACT SAT

Standard high school curriculum; more advanced General reasoning and problem solving; stronger
math knowledge; stronger emphasis on emphasis on vocabulary; requires that students
Material tested punctuation; Science Reasoning section tests come up with their own answers for some math
ability to read tables and graphs problems

Multiple-choice questions; grid-in questions;

Format Multiple-choice questions; optional essay
essay prompt

Accepted by All four-year colleges and universities All four-year colleges and universities

175 minutes; 205 with essay. Per-question time: 200 minutes; 225 with essay. Per-question time:
Length 49 seconds 62 seconds

English, Mathematics, Reading, Science, and an

Sections optional Writing section (total of five sections)
Reading, Writing, and Math (total of 10 sections)

Six times per year (September, October, Seven times per year (October, November,
Offered December, February, April, and June) December, January, March, May, and June)

Highest possible 36 2400

score
Each section is scored on a scale of 1 to 36, Each of the sections is worth 800 points, and
How the test is and the final score is your average; no points are your composite score is the sum; points are
scored deducted for wrong answers. deducted for wrong answers.

Depends. Some colleges require you to submit

Do colleges
No. You can take the ACT multiple times and all your scores. Many allow you to use Score
automatically see submit only your best test-date score. Choice, which lets you choose which test-date
all my scores? score you send.

NEW!
UP YOUR SCORE: ACT UP YOUR SCORE: SAT
Paper: $13.95/$16.95 Can. Paper: $13.95/$16.95 Can.
ISBN: 978-0-7611-7439-4 ISBN: 978-0-7611-6884-3

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 ACT vs. SAT
WHICH TEST ARE YOU?

T
hey’re both multi-hour ordeals that test your math, grammar,
reading comprehension, and essay-writing skills. But there are
some fundamental differences. While the SAT tries to test a
student’s ability to wrestle with a problem, the ACT is designed to test
what a student knows. At least, that is the difference in theory. In truth,
both the ACT and the SAT require reasoning and knowledge. Still, they
are very different tests. So . . . how are they different?
The ACT is faster than the SAT. If you average out the number of questions
over the total time of the test, the SAT gives you 62 seconds per problem.
The ACT gives you 49. The SAT is giving you almost 25 percent more time
on every question. That is a difference you can feel.
The other big difference between the tests is that they are created with
different philosophies. This might seem strange, because they are both
trying to do the same thing: determine a student’s preparedness for
college. But the SAT is all about testing your ability to reason. So the
test writers are more likely to create questions that feel “tricky,” or, to
some students, seem needlessly complex. The ACT, on the other hand,
is all about testing your knowledge, so the test writers are more likely
to create questions that are straightforward—as long as you know the
material being tested. Most ACT questions look like the ones you’ve
been doing for homework since freshman year.

NOW, LET’S GET SPECIFIC

The ACT has a Science Test, The SAT includes math questions for which you need
NEW!
❍❍ ❍❍
while the SAT does not. It to provide the answer, rather than pick among answer
tests a student’s ability to read choices. The ACT math questions are all multiple choice.
and compare graphs, charts,
and data tables as well as their ❍❍ The ACT tests one subject at a time. The SAT, on the other
sense of logic. hand, has 10 shorter sections and has you wrestle with
Critical Reading, then Math, then Writing, then back to
❍❍ The SAT explicitly tests vocabulary, Math, then back to Critical Reading, etc. Again, whether
while the ACT does not. you prefer to get all of your math done at once or mix up
your sections is a matter of personal preference.
❍❍ The ACT tests punctuation far more
heavily than the SAT. ❍❍ You can take the ACT as many times as you want (well, up
to 12 times), and you choose whether to send your scores
❍❍ SAT questions offer five answer to colleges. In contrast, some colleges will see every
choices, whereas the ACT questions offer SAT score you receive, though they might only officially
four, except for math, where they offer five. consider the best.

BUT HOW DO I CHOOSE?

T
here are a ton of opinions out there about the relative
advantages of the ACT and the SAT, but the best thing you can
do is to take a practice test of both in a setting that allows you
to concentrate for the three-plus hours required to take either test. If
you score much higher on one than the other, then . . . take that test!
But if the resulting scores are similar (and they probably will be), then
what matters is how you felt while taking the tests. Which test was
more enjoyable? Or, try this one: Which test made you want to pull out
a smaller percentage of your hair? Remember: Every college in America
accepts both ACT and SAT scores. You decide which test you want to take.

UP YOUR SCORE: ACT • Paper: $13.95/$16.95 Can. • ISBN: 978-0-7611-7439-4

UP YOUR SCORE: SAT • Paper: $13.95/$16.95 Can. ISBN: 978-0-7611-6884-3

workman.com WORKMAN is a registered trademark of Workman Publishing Co., Inc.